Pressure feed fountain toothbrush



Dec. 3, 1957 F. J. PEPPlNG Erm.

PRESSURE FEED FOUNTAIN TooTHBRusH Filed June 24, 1954 'edr/'ck J Papp/'ng Fran/r Guerra INVETORS 'BY w 5MM,

United States Patent "l Frederick I. Pepping, McHenry, and Frank Guerra,

Island Lake, Ill.

Application June 24, 1954, serial No. 438,996

s claims. (ci. 1s1ss) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in fountain toothbrushes embodying means for connecting a replaceable cartridge thereto containing pressurized toothpaste or dentifrice for supplying the same to the bristles of the brush.

An important object of the invention is to provide cartridge puncturing means carried by the toothbrush to open the cartridge as the latter is attached to the toothbrush and further to provide a control valve in the head of the toothbrush for admitting the toothpaste or dentifrice thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide equalizing means in the cartridge for the pressurized contents thereof to insure complete discharge of the contents of the cartridge to the toothbrush.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is elflcient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a group perspective View;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the puncturing prong.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of invention, the numeral 5 designates the toothbrush generally and which includes a stem 6 having a hollow head 7 at its front end provided with bristles 8.

The head 7 is formed with a longitudinally extending internally threaded chamber 9 and from which a passage 10 leads rearwardly through the stem.

A valve seat 11 is threaded in the rear portion of chamber 9 with the rear end of which a conical valve 12 is engaged and closed by a coil spring 13 positioned behind the valve. A valve actuating rod 14 is connected at its rear end to the valve 12 and extends forwardly through the chamber 9 and `outwardly at the front end of head 7 and is formed at its front end with a manipulating knob 15 to open the valve 12. One or more guides 16 are threaded into the front end of chamber 9 in which the rod 14 is slidable and the guides are constructed to seal the front end of the chamber. A dispensing opening 17 is formed in the head 7 adjacent the bristles 8.

The rear end of the stem 6 is threaded into a connector or coupling 18 which is formed with a sleeve 19 at its rear end to slidably receive a cap 20 threadedly connected to the front end of a replaceable cartridge 21. The connector 18 also includes a central longitudinally extending internally threaded bore 22 in which a neck 23 2,814,816 Patented Dec. 3,v 1957 which projects forwardly at the front end of cap 20 is threadedly connected.

A prong 24 is also threaded in the front end of bore 22 and is formed with one or more longitudinally extending grooves 25 at its side portions.

The cartridge 21 is provided with a central pressure equalizing tube 26 which is secured internally of neck 23 by a tubular connector 27 over the rear end of which the tube 26 is telescopically fitted and with the front end of the connector 27 suitably secured and sealed in the neck. The front end of connector 27 is closed by a puncturable seal (not shown) after the cartridge 21 has been lled under pressure with toothpaste or dentifrice. The lling of the cartridge 21 through the connector 27 and tube 26 creates a pocket of compressed air in the front end of the cartridge and at the outside of the tube 26 and which forces the toothpaste or dentifrice outwardly through the tube and connector when the latter has been punctured by the prong 24.

The prong 24 is positioned in the path of connecting movement ofthe cartridge 21 so that as the neck 23 of the cartridge is connected in the bore 22 the prong 24 will enter the connector 27 to puncture the same whereupon the contents of the cartridge Will pass through the grooves 25 into the passage 10 of the toothbrush. Discharge of the toothpaste or dentifrice is controlled by the valve 12.

The toothbrush may be enclosed by a threaded cap 28 provided with a pocket clip 29 for carrying the device in the pocket of a person.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to vbe unnecessary. However, since numerous modiiications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A toothbrush of a fountain-type wherein the tooth paste is under pressure and is controllably dispensed comprising, in combination, a hollow stem having a head at one end with an axial bore therethrough providing a chamber, said head having bristles and at least one discharge orice leading from said chamber and adapted to deliver toothpaste to the bristles, said stem having a pressurized tooth paste delivery passage and a valve seat at the juncture of the chamber and passage, a spring closed valve operable in said passage and normally engaging said seat and closing the passage and chamber, a rod slidably mounted in the chamber and connected at one end with the valve and having its opposite end extending through and outwardly beyond an end of the chamber where it is accessible and provided with a push button operating member, the inward end portion of said stem being externally screw threaded, an adapter coupling having a screw threaded portion screwed 4on the screw threaded end of said stem, the opposite end of said coupling having an integral sleeve and the intermediate portion of the coupling having an axial screw-threaded bore therethrough in communication with said passage, a screw-threaded plug screwed into said screw-threaded bore and having small delivery grooves to permit passage of pressurized tooth paste therethrough and into the passage, said plug having a pointed axial puncturing prong, and a self-contained ready-to-operate and readily applicable and removable cartridge containing tooth paste under pressure of an expelling and propellant gas, said cartridge having an end portion tted into said sleeve and being provided at the end adjacent said sleeve with a puncturable-diaphragm; =wherebywhen the cartridge is fitted into the sleeve the prong punctures the diaphragm and provides communicative connection between the cartridge, grooved plug, passage and valved chamber in said head. 2. AThe structuredeined. inclaim brandrwhereinsaid cartridge vis`clos'ed at one end andropenend intern-ally screw-.threaded at the opposite end,- said screw #threaded eind 'beingseparably connected `withla 'rcap-and-,isaid-cap having an axial screw-threaded neck, said neck-being provided with the, aforementioned .puncturableldiaphragm anbeing'detachably screwed-into the cooperating end of said'screwlthreaded bore. y

3Q Foruse in conjunction with a fountain toothbrush which. is characterized .by a bristle-,equipped t head having aA chamber for reception of toothfpaste, and astem connecfe'd withfsaidheadand` having avpressurized toothpaste delivering passage communicating withthe chambeijby wayfof a spring seated normally closed 4valve and means for manually unseating the valve; a combination handle a`nd`dispensing cartridge containing a supply of tooth paste under pressure of an expelling and propellant gas, .said cartridge having a screw-threaded .necktat one end provided witth a puncturablediaphragm, an adapter coupling connectible at one end with a cooperating `end portionof said stem and removably'connected at its opposite end to an adjacent cooperatingI end portion'of said cartridge and provided with-aninternally-.sorew-threaded axially disposed bore aligned with the stated neck on the one hand and adapted to be aligned at its opposite end with said pressurized delivering passage, and a screwthreaded plug screwed into the discharge end of the axial bore and having a pointed puncturing prong which serves to puncture the stated diaphragm, said plug also having peripheralv groovesy -whi-chftunotion Atoz' permitvt-he ypassage of toothpaste byway lof said grooves from the cartridge into the intakefendwof thepass'ageifithe'L statedlfst'em.

. References Cited inthe file of -this `patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 728,048 Torrance et a1. May 12, 1903 1,899,222 Werder Feb. 28, 1933 2,162,447 Seibel June 13, 1939 2,438,286 Moewig.- Mar. 30,4 1194s 2,569,975 i Cone-- -e y. ,Oc t. 2,- l 95l,v 2,631,757 AlexanderY Mar 17, 1953 2,690,279 Wardv f. Sept.4 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS i France Y `V'No,v. `"12, T938 

